Apparatus for refining zinc spelter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'1.1.10NES. APPARATUS FOR REFINING ZINC SPELTER.

No. 540.671. Y Patente-d June 111895 UNITED Sfr-Aras PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. JONES, OF PULASKI'OITY, VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR'Rist-[lanas zlNo s PELTER.

SPECIFICATION forming para 'of Lettere Patent No. 540,671, dated rune 11, 1895. Application filed February 26, 18795,. K Serial No. 539,757. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pulaski City, in the county of Pulaski and State of Virginia, have invented a vnew and useful Apparatusfor Refining Zinc Spelter, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to apparatus for refinin g zinc spelter; and it has for its objects to eect certain improvements in apparatusof this character and to provide positive and efficient means-for thoroughly refining ordinary commercial zincspelter to free the same from lead and other impurities.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to construct an yapparatus that will provide for thethorough elimination of lead and otherimpurities from the zinc spelter of commerce, thereby converting the same into a high grade, chemically pure, zinc spelterhavinga high market value.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l isa vertical sectional view of a refining apparatus embodying the improvements contemplated by the present invention. showing a slightly-modified form of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the hollow conical condensers of the apparatus.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates a furnace of an ordinary construction having the usual retort chamber 2, and the lower fire box 3, communicating with the retort chamber 2, and the said furnace l, which is arranged in'an uprightposition, is provided with the front and back walls t and 5, respectively. The front andV back walls 4 and of the furnace l, are provided with a vertical series of supporting shelves 6, and the supporting shelves of the front wall are located in a different horizontal plane from the shelves of the back wall, thereby providing means for supporting. at a proper inclination within the furnace the lretorts 7.

The retorts 7, are grouped within the retort chamber 2,`of the furnace in a regular series Fig. 2 is a similar View"Y invention', the shelves 6, of the front and back walls provide for supporting the retorts at an inclination with thev front ends thereof disposed in higher planes than their rear ends, which rest on the shelves of the back Wall. The said retorts 7, are made cylindrical in crosssection, and in the present invention are preferably provided with the closed rear ends 8, and the open front ends 9, in which open ends 9, are suitably fitted the wide flared ends ofthe hollow `conical condensers 10, that are projected at the front side of the furnace. The hollow conical condensers l0, aremade of the usual material, but in the present invention are provided at their wide flared ends, within the open ends of the retorts 7, with the integral dam-diaphragms ll. The integral dam-di'aphragms ll, of the hollow conical condensers'lO, extend partially across the inner wide ends of the condensers i0, to leave over their upper edges the vapor passages 12, which allow the zinc vapor to pass from within the retorts into vthe condensers, while at the same time the dam-diaphragms prevent the backfiow of Inolten zinc spelter into the retorts 7.

In the operation of the apparat-us'in connection with the form illustrated in Fig. l, the zinc tobe refined, is previously cast into billets or sticks that are introduced through the outer small ends of the condensers l0, and over the dam-diaphragms 11, into the retorts 7. Theetemperature within the furnace is then raised toand maintained at a degree ranging between the boiling points of lead and zinc, that is,above the boiling point of zinc and below the boiling point of lead. By maintaining this comparatively low temperature within the furnace, the zinc will be'caused to volatilize, and the zinc vapor will pass over the dam-diaphragms ll, through the vapor passages-12, into the condensers lO, where the vapor strikes the cooler surfaces of the condensers, and is completely condensed. The lead and other impurities, which are not v olatilized by the heat of the furnace, remainin the retorts and, following the.v inclination thereof, run to the backl end of the retorts out of the way, the dam-diaphragme l/l, practically cutting off the condensed zinc vapor from the retorts, thereby insuring the collection of pure zinc spelter within the condens- ICO ers, from which the same can be collected from time to time in any suitable manner. The retorts are cleaned from time to time of the accumulations of lead and other impurities by removing the same entirely from within the furnace.

A slight modification of the apparatus is observed in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which the rear closed ends S, of the retorts are pro- 1 vided with charging-slots 13, which are luted or otherwise closed air tight during the op` eration of the apparatus. In this form of the apparatus, the back Wall of the furnace is constructed similarly to the front Wallin order to leave the rear ends of the retorts exposed, so that the slabs of zinc can be introduced directly through lthe slots into the reto rts Without the necessity of charging the retorts through the condensers that are iitted in the open ends thereof. By reason of providing the slots 13, reinelting of the zinc spelter into billets is rendered unnecessary, as is the case Where the retorts are charged through the condensers, and furthermore the exposure,of the rear ends of the retorts having the slots, gives the added advantage of keeping the rear ends of the retorts comparatively cool, thereby materially assistingr in securing the separation of the impurities of the spelter Which follow the inclination of the retorts to the coolest point.

In the modied arrangement described, the process is precisely the same as described in connection with the arrangement ot parts illustrated in Fig. l.

Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacricing any of the advantages of this inven tion.

Having thus described the invention,\vl1at its claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In an apparatus for refining zinc spelter, the combination with the furnace; of retorts arranged at an inclination Within the furnace and provided with normally closed rear ends and open front ends, the open front ends of the retorts being disposed in higher planes than their rear ends to provide for directing the non-volatilized matter away from said open front ends, and hollow conical condensers registering at their Wide flared ends Within the open front ends of the retorts to form closures for such ends, said condensers being provided at their wide ends Within the retorts with integral vertically-disposed dam-diaphragms extending upward partially across the inner Wide ends of the condensers to form vapor passages over their upper edges and prevent the back flow of the refined spelter into thc retorts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. JONES. Witnesses:

JOHN B. Moons, J. E. MOORE. 

